Today we embarked on a boat trip from the port of Chipiona to celebrate Global Big Day, the annual world's birding challenge. Our journey took place on a 12-metre-long vessel, carrying a group of ten birdwatchers. We sailed more than thirty kilometres off the coast which allowed us to encounter a plethora of awe-inspiring bird species. The boat's size allowed us to move around comfortably, ensuring everyone had a front-row seat for the incredible sights that awaited us.
We were treated to a veritable avian extravaganza, with an array of birds which included Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Cormorants, Grey Herons, Shearwaters and Petrels. Each species brought its unique charm and character to the expedition.
However, capturing the sheer beauty of these feathered friends proved to be a challenge. The boat constantly swayed and rocked, making it difficult to take clear photos. The birds' graceful movements left us in awe, but our attempts to capture these moments in photographs often resulted in whimsical, if not blurry, shots. Nevertheless, these challenges added an element of adventure to the journey.
Our excursion lasted a total of six hours, though it felt like time had flown by. The mist we had when we left the port soon lifted, revealing a bright, sunny day on the water. In my opinion the highlight of the day were the many Gannets, a bird you normally can't get very close to onshore. If you ever have the opportunity to embark on such a journey, seize it, you won't regret it! You may be even lucky enough to spot some cetaceans.
This is the list of the 16 bird species we observed (asterisk = lifers!)
Great Cormorant
Grey Heron
Gannet
Great Skua*
Pomarine Jaeger*
Parasitic Jaeger*
Yellow-legged Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull*
Scopoli's Shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
Storm Petrel
Great Shearwater*
Ruddy Turnstone
Osprey
Little Egret
Cheerio!
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